No ship's position reports are available during our stay in the North Sea since we cease doing met. observations. Map to be sourced as soon as possible.

PLEASE DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET!!

We apologise for the lack of picture to your screen, but this
was due to technical problems beyond our control. We are happy to announce that normal service has now been resumed and
we wish you many hours of uninterrupted viewing from now on. So, don't touch that dial. Please keep it tuned right here for
the continuing adventures of your favourite characters in all your favourite situations.

Happy Viewing!

The Management

Wavey-Davey's Weekly Wit Spot

Davey says - 'I'm In Bed'Wavey Davey has elected to do the 'night shift' on his first week -
this has allowed him to go for his beloved walk around the World War II
fortifications of Bergen on this first day in Norway. There is a
rather impressive U-boat pen in the fjord nearby, so this was an obvious
target for Davey - a collector of wartime stories, memorabilia and facts
- as well as our resident 'orrible jokes provider.

However, there is a reprieve for the crew on this first week whilst
Davey is a-bed, and we are spared from the onslaught of 4 months of assembling
more Weekly Wit Spot Material ! Hopefully Wavey-Davey will be back
with us in true form, next week.

RRS Ernest Shackleton, departed the Southern Oceans
in April of this year and made the usual 4 week journey with a handful
of FID's onboard and returned to the UK to discharge by mid-May.
This was done in Grimsby on the Humber Estuary, before the vessel was removed
to Immingham further up the river in order to make preparations for the
North Sea Season. By the end of May, the vessel's transition from
an Antarctic Logistical Supply Vessel to a Dynamic Positioning Oil Field
Support Vessel was complete ! It then only remained to sit alongside
the quayside and await the summer operators, - Reibers Shipping, of Norway
- to find a contract and put the vessel to work. By early June, RRS Ernest Shackleton had been removed from Immingham across the water to Hull to 'sit it out' whilst no definite signs of work materialized on
the horizon.

Then in the 2nd week of June, Riebers obtained a short-term charter
for the vessel and it was over to Tananger, Norway to mobilize the ROV*
spreads and take on the extra, specialized North Sea Personnel for the
4 weeks to be spent on the Draugen Field 60° North 00° East.
From June 15th to 23rd and June 27th to July 11th, the Vessel continued
with the ROV support work inspecting repairs to a broken pipeline.
Upon successful completion of the program, it was back to Tananger to de-mobilize
1 of the 2 RoV's and remove to Bergen to await further work.

That work came in the form of a 14 day charter to inspect some sub-sea
connections for Statoil.

* ROV - Remote Operated Vehicle, or 'sub'.>

NOT ALL WORK

The Summer so far has been very leisurely in comparison to previous
North Sea Seasons. Here is a picture book diary of what we missed
hearing about whilst the JBM Crew were baby-sitting the ship during the
first half of the Northern Hemisphere operations. Subsequently, the
ship is looking very well indeed for having had plenty of time and attention
during standby times alongside, and only the larger jobs remain to be done
later this summer when the ship goes into dry dock. Click on all images to enlarge them.

Above: Left - FID (supernumerary Paul Sharp falls victim to the Court of King Neptune
on the Northern-bound journey) and the Court assembles on the back deck of the vessel to submit a few 'victims'
to justice!

Above: Left - Preparing the main crane for the summer season. Preparatory work in the sun and the North Sea frame used to cover the main hold in the summer.

Above: Left, the frame in situ and fitted out with the ROV control shacks on the Shackleton and finally to work in the North Sea. The ROV is launched over the side on a balmy day.

Above: Left - finally to Bergen to await the next job and time off for the crew to go sight-seeing in this fascinating Norwegian town.

Forthcoming events: Depart Bergen and position for 14 days work off the Gullfaks Platform.

Contributors this week: Welcome back to Wavey Davey, and
the unknown photographer(s) on the opposite crew who left behind a legacy
of pretty pictures, handover notes, and their best wishes for a continued
successful season prior to going South in October.

Diary 2 will be written on 27th July and for publication on 28th July 2003